Tender Spitting
by Ash Light
Summary: Bernardo was right...If one of you were lying on the street, bleeding, I'd walk by and spit on you! That's what she said. But after a chance meeting with Action, Anita learns to eat her words. A LOT of Action torment. I hate the title.
1. Little Informer

Ash: HELLOOOO, EVERYBODY! IT'S A B-E-A-UTIFUL DAY! Ahem. Couldn't think of anything to fill the space. Just ignore me.

Actually, don't. People ignore me a lot of the time, and I need you to give me your utmost attention.

Ahem.

When I first saw the 'rape scene' at Doc's, I was very interested in what Anita said. "Bernardo was right. If one of you were lying on the street, bleeding, I'd walk by and spit on you!" Because what if, of course, she had done? Would she really have spat on them, or would she have helped them.

Well, gee, you know, when I get an idea like that, I just can't think of what to do! I need to write a fic about it! So here it is. The fic where Anita was to eat her words.

000000

Of course, it doesn't begin like that. It begins with Ice finding out what happened. To be honest, he isn't very happy about it...

* * *

If anyone deserved it, then that person would be Action.

He was the ring-leader, after all. No-one, not even Action himself, could deny that. He'd started it, right from after the Rumble. Ice had watched quietly, as the young Jet's angry energy spread from one Jet to the other, until Baby John had the courage to step up.

But Ice shouldn't have left him. He should have gotten somebody, Joyboy, Gee-Tar, or somebody, to go check the ally's. He shouldn't have left them – and here Ice's lip curled up slightly – _unsupervised_.

Because Ice had known Action for roughly ten years. He knew how, even as a child, Action's blood could boil over. And it always would, in the end. If you stopped him, the anger would sit there inside of him, quietly biding its time, eating away inside of him, until the right moment. And, likely as not, it would come back larger and more powerful then ever. And this was a powerful anger, because as the Jets knew, Action had never yet lifted a finger to his buddy, A-Rab.

In some, small way, Ice blamed himself. He had taken the leadership of the Jets onto himself, and so he was responsible for each and every member. And he knew Action. He should have recognised the signs. Everything was exaggerated. Hard breathing, jumping about on the balls of his feet….Christ, even the smack that landed when he punched his hand was loud. And yet he, Ice, had left them there. With that Puerto Rican chick.

What was her name? Rita, Nita…..Anita. Well, he couldn't blame his boys entirely. She must have been a damn stupid girl to go straight in there, with a room full of Jets, the sworn enemy, and no Doc in sight. Better for her to have just legged it then and there, soon as she stepped in the door. She shouldn't have carried on, like some dummy. She _should_ have known, she _must_ have known. It was almost as if she wanted something to happen.

And the boys had a lot of pent up energy, there was no doubt about that. Pent up energy, and anger at the Sharks. If Anita hadn't come, who knows what they would have done? Probably something insane and hot-headed, another one of A-Rab's dumb stunts. They may have even set upon another girl. Even Anybodys! Yeah, that was right. It was a damn good thing Anita came in, because if she hadn't, who knows what could have happened.

He couldn't really blame his boys.

So how come he was so angry?

"They WHAT?" Ice yelled, smacking his hand down on a surface in one of the many hideouts the Jets haunted.

Anybodys shifted uncomfortably, "'S true. I saw. Joined in at first, but then…." She trailed off.

Ice put his hands together in a begging signal, "Anybodys; _please_ tell me that this is just some elaborate lie you've put together just because Action and A-Rab teased you, or something, _please_….."

"Why would Tony be yelling for Chino to come and get him too? You heard him as well as any of us. Anita told us that Chino had killed Maria."

Maybe because of all that was going on, but Ice had got muddled already. Not a good thing for a leader to be, "And she said that because….?"

"Because the guys hassled her," Anybodys said, risking rolling her eyes, "Try and keep up, Ice."

Ice clapped her over the head, "You try keeping up. It's something that's isn't enjoyable." He paused, " And when you say hassled her…When you told me this the first time, you said…"

"It's a polite word for teasing, insulting, blowing smoke in her eyes, ripping her shawl off, pulling her skirt, making her dance Spanish-like and finally getting her on the floor and almost dropping Baby John on her."

Ice smashed his hand again, "Those…those….please tell me you stopped before…"

Anybodys gave him a look, "What do you take me for?"

"I worry about you sometimes," Ice sighed, "Exactly why are you telling me this?"

Anybodys squirmed awkwardly, "Promise you won't laugh."

"Anybodys, if there's anything to laugh about in this business, I'd dearly like to hear it."

"I felt sorry for her. The PR girl, you know. And I feel bad for what I did…..you know, I said she was only tryin' ta help ta get Tony. And if we hadn't then maybe…"

Ice patted her shoulder, "I know," He sighed, "Who started this? I'm assuming that there were ringleaders, of course."

Anybodys chewed her lip, "Action and A-Rab were the ringleaders….Snowboy teased her quite a bit…oh, and you might want to talk to Baby John too."

Ice paced around, "Get 'em over here, will ya? And…." Ice backed up from where he'd been standing, "How d'you know I want to talk to them?"

"Cos that's the way you do things Ice," Anybodys called as she ran out from the cellar, "Talk first, bash heads later."

* * *

Hello again! I'm sorry it wasn't in that big a chunk. It will probably be in small chunks for the time being, until I can pull myself together. This fic does not just feature Anita and Action (oh come on, you just knew it was gonna be him, didn't ya?), but also some more of Anybodys informing, some of Ice's remarkable justice (for all you Ice fangirls out there), some of a very distraught Maria, some Sharks who are simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, and of course A-Rab, Baby John and Snowboy (ah, come on, I could NOT write a fic without the boys, could I?)

So read and review! In the next chapter, I shall put up contests and polls!


	2. Just Hangin' Around

YEY! Two reviews already! I am a lucky, lucky girl! I must reply _trez_ quickly!

Fwoggeh: Thanks! I'm glad you like it, and as you can see, I have continued! I really like your West Side Story fic. There aren't many WSS fics on the net (if you know of any place where there are more, pleeeaaase tell me), and yours is very good. I can't wait to see who lives! Oh, and I hope Action, A-Rab and Baby John didn't scare you off too much. Also, I see from your bio that you like Holes (I've written a fic about that! Very short) and GREEN DAY! You rock! Have you ever heard Good Charlotte? They're very good too, and quite similar to Green Day.

Beth Smith: Yay! Mrs Ice returns! As I told you in my review, I have to find the file in which I saved the next chappy of 'Flare Up', (smacks head and shouts 'doh!' in Homer-esque fashion - ow). Ah, thankyou for complementing my fics...I am reeaally enjoying yours (incase you haven't seen yet, Action, A-Rab and Baby John have reviewed too! I have taken pains to make them review! Actually, I have taken pains to make their review apropriate - Action and A-Rab keep on swearing and corrupting Baby John - grr). As you have probably seen, A-Rab thinks it's a good idea to get you and Ice together. I had to wrestle the bazooka away from him before he killed Velma - sigh. Well, there is no Ice in this chapter - sorry - but there will be a big part with him in the next chapter! As for now, I am just going to let you wait and see what happens with Anitaand Action - squee!

And now, on with the fic! The lads are contemplating their future and trying hard to make sure another murder does not take place...

* * *

"And this time we've definitely had enough," A-Rab said, perched on the brick wall, "I don't mind just larking around as the Jets, like we used to, but three deaths is enough for me, thankyouverymuch."

"Four, if you count Chino," Snowboy pointed out, "He's gonna get the death penalty for sure."

"Yeah, four if you count…." A-Rab turned round to glare at the taller boy, "Exactly what the hell are you trying to do? When I said 'three deaths is enough', I mean, three deaths is enough!"

"Yeah, and I'm just saying, it wasn't just three, it was…."

"Snowboy, just shut up!" A-Rab yelled, turning his back on the boy, "You're not helping."

Action paced around angrily, "Stupid, stinkin', no-good-dirty-rotten Sharks…."

"Action, we've been through this already," A-Rab pointed out wearily, "Again, and again, and again…."

"But they started it, dammit!" Action snarled.

Snowboy looked up, "And again."

"It's true!" Action retorted, "They did start it!"

Baby John hugged his knees to himself, "We didn't help though, did we? We fought 'em just because they were PR."

"Your point being, jailbait?" Action asked testily. He got tired to Baby John at the best of times, and when he was acting like this….

"That we're just as much to blame as them," Baby John carried on, "We fought 'em. And Tony killed Bernardo."

"Because Bernardo killed Riff!" Action snapped, "Goddamit Baby John, where've you been?"

"I say good for Tony, too," Snowboy chipped in.

"But he still killed him," Baby John ploughed on, "And we did some pretty damn bad stuff too. Like in Doc's…."

Action, A-Rab and Snowboy all turned to glare at him, "I thought we agreed _never_ to talk about that again?" A-Rab said sharply.

"But we have to talk about it sometime, I mean, it was our…"

"It's between us and the chick, kid!" Snowboy yelped.

Baby John smiled weakly, "Guys…" A-Rab nodded insistently with Snowboy, "Fine..."

Action smacked his fist into his open hand, making them all jump, "Man," He muttered, "What I'd do to that Spic if I caught him…."

"Well, you're not gonna," A-Rab said loudly, "They've got 'im banged up until the court trial, and good riddance. There's no point in talking about what you're gonna do when you're not."

"I reckon we should just show them that we ain't beaten!" Action said, "Them Sharks are just waitin' for it…."

"NO!" The three chorused, "We had enough!" Baby John carried on, "Didn't ya _see_ Tony?"

"Shuttup, jailbait," Action snarled, smacking him round the head.

A-Rab jumped down from the wall, "Hey, leave out Action."

"What's it gotta do with you?" Action retorted.

Snowboy jumped up, arms outstretched, "Guys, don't start up again…."

"Maybe I should knock some sense into your thick skull. Might do you a bit of good," A-Rab snapped, rapping his fist on Action's head. Before he knew it, Action had dived at him.

"HEY, CUT IT OUT!"

It sounded so much like Ice. So much that even Action jumped back up and retreated to his corner.

It really surprised the boys when all they saw was Anybodys climbing over the wall.

"Hey, where's Ice?" Snowboy asked.

"Nowhere, that was me," Anybodys grinned smugly, "Had ya fooled though, didn't I?"

"Not even for a moment," A-Rab retorted, flicking the collar of his jacket up.

Anybodys flicked him off, "Hey, what was all the jazz 'bout?"

"Action wants to teach the Sharks a lesson, which," Snowboy turned round to face Action, "is a _really dumb idea_."

"He's gotta point," Anybodys said.

"Don't tell Ice that they've been fighting, huh?" Baby John begged, "We've been through a lot, and he'll just get stressed."

Anybodys folded her arms, "He'll want to know."

"Yeah, well, there are some things you just don't talk about, even if you want to," Action told her, "There are lots of things that we should never," Action, A-Rab and Snowboy turned round to Baby John, "_ever_ tell Ice about."

Anybodys jiggled, "When you say that, you mean what happened in…."

"Yes."

"And…."

"_Yes_?"

Anybodys shook her head. She'd seen the three glare at Baby John, "Nothin'. You should come with me."

Snowboy took a drag from his cigarette, "Why?"

"Cos Ice wants to speak to you. And," She did a nervous little dance, "I'd suggest to get there quick."

Action glared at her, "What's it to you, jailbait?"

Anybodys bristled, "Lot's of stuff. And don't call me that, wop!"

Snowboy caught hold of Action's wrists before he started, "Gee, cut it out you two!" He protested, "Come on then Anybodys. Lead us to our gallant new leader."

"What's he wanna talk to us for?" A-Rab demanded, following Anybodys down the small alleyway.

Anybodys dodged up and down the kerb, "…..Dunno. You'd better ask him. And he's in the cellar under the Tennyson block. I'll see ya in a minute," And with that she ran on ahead.

"Oi!" Action yelled, "Come back here!" She'd already gone.

"Weird," Snowboy muttered, "Come on guys, let's get there before Lieutenant Shranke starts snooping around for more interviewees."

"Say, what are we gonna do?" Baby John asked, "We can't just go around fightin' them Porto Ricans, can we?"

Action glared at him, "Why not?"

Baby John cowered, "I dunno, we just….can't."

"What d'you suggest we do then, brains?" Action snapped, shoving him down the tenant steps, "Become friends with 'em, huh?"

Baby John shrugged, "Better than kill 'em."

A-Rab stepped in between the two boys, "Cut it. Hey Ice? Anybodys?" He peered into the gloom, "Where are they?"

Anybodys danced out from the shadows, "Hey. Action, A-Rab, you go in the next room. Jailbait, Wise Guy, you stay here." Snowboy and Baby John sat obediently.

Action glared at her, "Why are you acting so weird?"

Anybodys jiggled from one foot to the other, "I ain't acting weird."

A-Rab did the same jiggle the teenager had just done, "Is that what you do usually then?"

Anybodys rolled her eyes, "Just get in there!"

Exchanging amused looks, and not realising just how angry the person behind the door was, Action and A-Rab did so.

* * *

Feh and meh! Excuse me. That concludes the second part of 'Tender Spitting' - oh god, that name freaks me out. Does ANYONE think that the name isn't freaky and corny and just plain wierd?

Ahem. Well, as you can see, Action and A-Rab are gonna get in a lot of trouble, if we know Ice, and we do. So, to keep me amused while thinking of what to do with the two miscreants, we shall have polls and competitions! Yes, we shall! And here they are!

Poll: When Anita and Action meet (and don't worry, they will), what will the circumstances be, and what will happen. For example: Action goes into the dress makers shop for his sister (bear with me here, this is an example), they see each other, and run away and never see each other again (okay, okay! It was an EXAMPLE!) So, come on out with your own ideas!

Competition: Like in myother fic,'Flare up' (please read and review that one too!), what song reminds you of West Side Story? Like a gang song or a love song?

Ok, gotta go! See ya!

Ash


	3. It Was My Fault

Boy oh boy! Ten reviews for one chapter! Score! I have to reply quick though (don't wanna do homework, grumble grumble), so sorry for the quick replies!

americangurl: I have, I have! Calm down! 'Play it cool, boy!'

shadow/phantomness: I have to pair him slightly with Velma, sorrysorrysorry, but I can promise no lovey-dovey stuff between them, so don't worry!

TurtleSister: Thanks! Thanks! I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations!

mirabelle7: You ask, and we deliver! AshLight Special Delivery, one new chapter of 'Tender Spitting' for Miss Mirabelle, SAH!

PhantomLover2005: Oh, that's ok. People seem to like the title anyways...

Tonyboy: Thanks for the compliment. I have indeed updated!

Fwoggeh: Hey, it's my buddy-boy! (Or girl...) Yeah GC and GD rock! Ok, I won't change the title. I updated now! Tis your turn now! UPDATE!

BethSmith and the gang: Hey, another buddy-boy! Action, don't you dare rat Beth out, A-Rab, by all means kill Velma, in fact let me watch...Baby John, stay innocent, please! I'll have to keep you away from Action and A-Rab. Ice, stay cool man! And eat ramen noodles!

MorwenLalaith: Yeah, the rape scene made me wanna puke. I always cover my eyes for that bit. I do think that Action and Anita would be a cute but explosive couple. As for Becca...well, you'll have to wait and see, won't ya? Young and Hopeless is a good song. I like, I like!

FlareConlon: Thanks. I haven't seen Outsiders, but apparently it's a good book/film. Have you ever seen Newsies? I figured, cos of your name...Oh well. Now update!

Ok, here we go. Action and A-Rab have been stuck in between that doorframe for quite some time now, so let's move 'em along towards their 'doom'...

0000

The first thing Ice did was shove Action angrily into the old chair and A-Rab onto the floor.

"What the –" A-Rab started to protest. Ice's glare silenced him immediately.

"Alright," He snarled, "Which one of you started it off?"

Action and A-Rab exchanged worried looks. They'd never see Ice this angry, "This is like being in the principal's office again," Action managed to mutter. A-Rab's snickers were cut off by Ice, whose clip around the ear was definitely meant to hurt.

"Umm…what are you talkin' about, Ice?" Action asked cautiously.

"I _think_," Ice snapped, pacing around the cellar, "You know what I'm talking about."

"I don't," A-Rab chipped in, now that Ice was safely on the other side of the room, "I've no idea watcha talkin' 'bout. But I'm so neurotic that with anything you say you have a good chance of striking guilt," He looked up at Action, "Maybe we could make it into a guessing game. Like 'I Spy', or 'Twenty Questions'. Baby John's good at that."

Ice strode back, pushing a smirking Action out of the way, "It's funny how much you can laugh," He hissed, "After what happened."

A-Rab blinked, serious again, "But 's the only way to keep my mind off Tony and Riff dying."

"Not that!" Ice yelled, "After I left you two idiots in Doc's Store!" Action and A-Rab simultaneously started to get sinking feelings in their gut….. "God, I just…."

"How?" Action blurted out.

"Who?" A-Rab gasped at the same time.

They both exchanged looks. There was only one person who would dare to go to Ice, and that person had had such a worried look when they'd brought it up…..

"Anybodys," Action growled, leaping out of his chair and to the door, A-Rab straight behind him.

Ice, who was quick on his feet, raced in front of them and slammed the door shut, "Yeah, she told me! And I'm glad she did too!" He pushed his hair back from his eyes, "All I wanna know is – why the hell?"

A-Rab turned to Action, "You tell him. Then I'll know too."

Action jammed his fists into his pockets, "We just….Well….there was too much…"

"Feelin'." A-Rab chipped in, "There was too much feelin', and it was the wrong sort."

Ice leant back against the wall, "So you decided to rape her."

"No!" Action yelled.

"That's a real ugly word, Ice," A-Rab protested, "We were just foolin' around."

"Foolin' around," Ice repeated, "Huh…."

"Yeah," Action said, "I mean, first of all, it wasn't even foolin' around, cos we didn't know what she was doin' there. So we just decided to stop her, in case she was gonna do somethin' to Tony. We just made up some weird lies, to stop her from going any further. That was all, really."

"And blowing smoke in her eyes helped stop her, huh?"

A-Rab frowned, "Boy, Anybodys sure told ya all the details, didn't she?"

"Enough to let me know what I was dealin' with," Ice said, smiling slightly, "Go on then Action."

Action screwed up his face, "I'm not really sure when it turned from stopping her from teasing, but…."

"It was when we wanted her to start speakin' Spanish," A-Rab interrupted, "And then you somehow managed to get her into the middle of us."

Action shot him a dirty look, "We don't need to go into details!" Then he caught the look on Ice's face, "Details that Ice already knows."

"From our little informer," Ice grinned, "Go on."

"I don't see why you need to hear it again," Action huffed, "There ain't much, 'cept we started her dancing and…."

"I don't need to hear that much," Ice said quickly, "Well then."

A-Rab swayed on his feet, "Yeah."

"Would you have stopped?" Ice asked quietly, "If Doc hadn't came."

Action and A-Rab looked at each other, "I'm…not really sure," A-Rab muttered, "I….don't really know what we'd have done."

"I hope we would've."

"Well…." Ice paused, "Who started it off, then?"

Action and A-Rab exchanged uneasy looks again. Action broke off first, staring at the floor.

"Didn't Anybodys tell ya?" A-Rab asked.

"No," Ice said calmly, "I'm waiting for you guys to tell me."

Action shifted from one foot to the other, "Me."

A-Rab's head jerked up, "But you can't let him take all the blame! I did a lot of taunting too….and there was Tiger and Big Deal, they lifted up Baby John…."

Ice held up one hand, walking over to Action, "Is that true?"

Action nodded, his face an unnatural red colour.

Ice smiled, "Thanks for telling me," He said softly, and turned to A-Rab, clapping him on the back, "And good going for sticking up for him too."

A-Rab grinned, "Well, that's what friend are for, ain't they?" He shot a withering look at Action, "Although he has tried to smash my face in_ twice_, in _twenty-four hours_."

Action smirked, "Huh. You deserved it. Didn't hurt you too bad, did I?"

A-Rab shrugged, "Ahh, I've seen worse."

"Good, then I'll be able to beat you up tomorrow."

Ice rolled his eyes, "There is something I want you to do though, Action."

Action looked at him uneasily, "What?"

"If we see that Porto Rican girl again, you apologise immediately."

Action jammed his fists into his pockets, "Oh…to you?"

Ice restrained himself from groaning, "Stop trying to duck out of it! No, to her."

"I know," Action sighed, "Ok, next time we see her, I will."

"Good," Ice signalled to the door, "Let's have a chat with Snowboy and Baby John."

A-Rab held Action back, "You're really gonna apologise? You realise you'll get a slapped face and possibly a lot more, right?"

Action grinned, "Watcha take me for? Soon as we see that girl, she's gonna leg it, isn't she?" He smirked, "I'm perfectly safe."

00000

Ah, my dear Action, that is what _you_ think, hahahahahahha...Anita, hurry up! I need you to deal with this bozo!

Ok, ok, new comp. We all know the character descriptions for Tony, Maria, Riff, Bernardo, Anita and Ice. But what about the others? See if you can do a little character bio (description of character, home life, what he looks like) for one of the Jets or Sharks. Good luck!

Ash!


	4. Old Friends

**Ash**: (Groans, and slaps her head) I'm awful. I am soooo awful at updating. I am _Le Crap _and _Le Poo _updater. In fact, I haven't updated since last year!

Ok, that joke's getting old. I should kill myself for saying it.

But then there would be no more _Spitting_! And that would be a shame. And you'd probably all hunt me down and try and destroy my ghost or something wierd like that.

Can ghosts be destroyed, you think?

_Ahem_. Wow! Six reviews! Yayness!

**Fwoggeh:** Hello buddy boy! Girl...frog. I have indeed updated! Celebrate with many chocolates and dances and...stuffs. And update again. You have not told me who got shot. If it isn't Officer Krupke or Lieutenant Shranke I will not be pleased.

**Merencandien-Candmeluiell Estelio Ammen** : Thankyou! I do love this story. It is my little gem. Plus I love the Action torture. Of which there is plenty. How did you think up your pen name? It scares me.

**Gondor Girl:** Ta muchly! You may have to wait a bit longer for Anita. She is being pesky and won't stop crying (hands Anita a Kleenex).

**westsidefrk:** Be bold and strong! It got me to work twice as fast. Which isn't really saying much for my work speed.

**Eshlyn Kar**: Salutations! Merci and Mucho Gracias...er, watsit.

**Tonyboy**: Hello! Thankyou for the comments. I'm sorry you didn't get the part of Tony. However, I am sure you made a spiffing Gladhand. The title scares me slightly. That is all you need to know.

* * *

Action strapped his watch to his wrist, "Hey, you coming, Buddy-Boy?"

Baby John looked up from his Captain Marvel comic book, "Where you going?" He asked cautiously.

Action shook his shoulder, "No need to get so edgy, kiddo. We're just gonna hang around, maybe sneak into a movie, somethin' like that. Ice said the chicks would be down there," He eyed Baby John evilly, "You wanna go pick up one of the girls, huh?"

Baby John coloured rapidly, "I'm okay here Action. Thanks for asking though."

Action shrugged, "Suit yourself. Heard Minnie was gonna be down there, though…."

He really didn't look normal with a red face and blond hair, Action thought to himself, "I think I'll stay back _here_, Action."

Normally Action would have let this go, but it was too great an opportunity to resist, "Oh, you sure? Ice said the girls were getting all dolled up and stuff…..lookin' pretty nice," He turned away, smirking to himself, "Still, you stay here, do what you want…"

"Fine!" Baby John yelped, jumping up, "I'll come! Gee, you could've just _asked_."

"Or somethin' like that," Action muttered, grinning.

"Hey, you guys comin' or what?" A-Rab asked, sticking his head around the door of the Coffee Pot, "Ice don't like us to be on our own around here now."

Baby John glared at Action, "That was why you wanted me to come, was it?" He said accusingly, "Minnie ain't gonna be there, is she?"

"No, Minnie's gonna be there. Anyway," A-Rab added, looking confused, "Why d'you care if Minnie's gonna be there or not?"

"I….I just…" Baby John trailed off as A-Rab and Action collapsed into hysterics, "Oh, shut up. We going to the flicks then?"

"Yeah, sure," Action said, "See if we can't _accidentally_ bump into Glad Hand on the way there."

"Why d'you want to see Glad Hand?" Baby John asked.

A-Rab grinned, "Well, I've been feelin' rather put out ever since he called me 'Young Gentleman', and I just thought I'd show him just how un-gentlemanly I was."

Action showed Baby John the full egg carton A-Rab was carrying, "Just slip 'em into his suitcase, and then _accidentally_ shake it around…."

Baby John forced himself to laugh with the other two. Actually, that wasn't true. He didn't have to force himself. It had been two and a half weeks now since the Rumble, and although he, and all of them, still felt more subdued, hollower about it, they could still laugh like old times. Why not? They were young, they were buddies. They were gonna keep Riff's spirit for themselves and have a laugh.

However, Baby John's wise thought was soon replaced by another, more important one.

"Oh, damn! I forgot my jacket!"

A-Rab groaned, "Aww, kid, we said we'd meet 'em at five. It's now," He looked at Action's watch, "Half past midnight, where'd you swipe this watch from?"

Action pulled his hand back defensively, "I hadn't gotten round to changing the time."

"Where did the guy who had it first come from? England?" A-Rab checked his own watch, "Quarter to five. And the movies are still a way ahead."

Baby John doubled back, "I'll go get it."

A-Rab grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, "Oh no you don't. That's neutral territory. Sharks could be hanging round. I don't wanna have to go down to your old lady and explain that her son's been carved by some PR."

"And we ain't going all the way with ya," Action added, "You'll just have go back tomorrow with Big Deal and Mouth Piece. For now you can do without."

Baby John made a face, "But I'm so _cold_, Action!"

A-Rab rolled his eyes, "Fine, you can borrow my jacket," He muttered.

"Gee, thanks A-Rab, you're a pal."

"I'm doin' a lot of that at the moment, ain't I?" A-Rab grinned, wriggling out of his jacket, "Don't you dare loose this, or…." A particularly cold wind blew around the boys, "Shit! _I'm_ cold now," He snatched the jacket back, "Sorry kid, but I ain't gonna freeze to death without some chick to warm me up."

"Then go to the movies!" Baby John uncharacteristically snapped, "Aw man, I'm cold."

Action snapped, "Fine, fine, I'll go get it for ya," He called, already walking the opposite way down the street, "I'll meet you at the movies, ok?"

"Hey, you sure?" A-Rab yelled after him.

"Bloody positive," Action shouted, wrapping his jacket around him, "Hey A-Rab, you do find a chick to warm you up, gimme her number, ok? It's freezing without a coat or with."

A-Rab gave him the thumbs-up and Action walked down the street to the Coffee Pot, grabbed Baby John's jacket from the chair and walked back out again.

0000

The dark haired young man jumped easily down from the wall he had been perched on, "I know, I know we aren't meant to be fighting anymore but….. _Mi Dios_, the way he can just walk down the road, cocky as Hell, when Anita is in her room, crying about those _puercos Americanos asquerosos y estúpidos_…..." He shook his head as he lapsed back into Spanish.

"Don't worry," Indio smirked, winding the belt around his palms, "After tonight, things will be settled."

"That's what Bernardo said on the night of the War Council," The youngest boy told him solemnly, "Look what happened."

"Shut up, Nibbles! You wanna go home, you go home, _ah_? Me and Toro can deal with the _wop_ alone."

Nibbles shook his head, "I never said…."

"He's _comin'_!" Toro exclaimed, half frightened, half excited, "You ready?"

"Ready to defend Anita," Indio said darkly, readying himself.

Action, murmuring something which sounded oddly like '_Gee, Officer Krupke…_' rounded the corner and came face to face with three Sharks. Three against one.

He spread his hands out, mentally kicking himself for being such a wimp, "Look, fellas, I don't want any trouble…."

Toro's outstretched hand was there to bat him back into the centre of the ally, "It's alright," He said in his thick Spanish accent, "We didn't want any trouble either."

"And neither did Anita," Indio told him coolly, "When she came into the drugstore."

Action had the sudden, unpleasant feeling he'd just plunged into a bucket of ice-cold water, "Oh…..'bout that…."

"Forgotten already?" Indio continued, circling the boy lazily, "Now isn't that a surprise….I suppose that, to American pigs...they rape so many that they don't know where one ends and another begins."

The proverbial water became scalding hot, "Now _look_…."

"Nibbles!" Indio barked sharply, jerking his head towards Action.

Nibbles stepped forward, and Action came face to face with the boy who sat next to him, the night they were snowing Lieutenant Shranke at the War Council. He attempted a small, half-smile before reaching back and punching Action straight in the face.

_Damn_, Action thought, rolling over onto his side as Indio's fist caught him in the ribs, _Having a trip down old memory lane shouldn't have stopped you like that…You're going soft_…

"Well, well, well…Thanks for detaining him, boys," A cocky, lazy and above all _familiar_ voice drawled above him.

Indio looked up, "Who the - ?"

The man spread his hands and smiled thinly, "Me? I'm just an old buddy of Action here…you remember me, Action? You remember your old pal?"

Action raised his head and glared hatefully up at Jon, leader of the Vampires, once the most ruthless gangs in New York.

Jon laughed humourlessly, "So you _do_ remember me! Well, it's been a long time, _mate_," The word grated horrifically, "So I thought I'd come and pay you a visit."

Action lifted his head and spat violently at Jon's boot.

"But me and the boys heard that waddaya know, the Jets seem to have a little problem on their hands! _Terrible_ deaths, I heard, Action. Surprised you weren't one of 'em," Jon raised his head and stared at Indio, who had walked back a pace to stand next to Toro and Nibbles, "You boys can clear off now."

Toro looked edgy, "Indio, maybe we should…."

"I said, _now_," Jon snarled. The three Sharks looked at each other and slowly backed out of the ally. The man smirked, and bent down towards Action, "Just you, me, and the boys now Action. Shall we have a little reunion, just like old times, eh?"

Action groaned, and clung fiercely to Baby John's jacket as the first blow was dealt.

* * *

**Ash**: (gasps, and spills popcorn everywhere) Noo! Action! Why do I torture him so?

Because I still don't like him for being such a git to Anita. That is why.

Don't worry, he won't die. I think...

**AHEM. IMPORTANT NOTE.**

That was fun.

Anyway, the point is that I am looking for readers. If you like Oliver Twist, or Oliver! the musical, then Ash needs you! Or, she needs the reviews. She's a desperate little sod. She's going to stop talking in third person now.

_Ahem_.

But please, readand review my new Oliver Twist fic. I like it. I just need more reviews for it.

Pretty please?


	5. A Surprise Meeting

**Ash**: Oh...good...grief.

I am _so_ sorry. Words cannot _express_ how sorry. Well, they probably can. But anyway! I am _soooooooo _sorry for leaving this hanging like that! So very, very, very sorry. Blame it all on SATS, and a sudden obsession with _Oliver Twist_.

But anyway! I have returned! And I'm kinda hoping you guys will all remember this fic and review again. Gah. I'm ashamed of myself.

Well. Time to reply to my reviews.

**Tonyboy**: I think there's another fic on here with Anita finding Ice lying one the street. So sorry, no torture for Ice today. Maybe next time. I'm sorry you didn't get Tony, but I'm sure you did Gladhand justice. The teachers probably hada good reason for picking the other guy to be Tony, althoughit doesn't exactly seem that obvious at the moment. I hope you get the part you want the next time you audition for a play.

**FlareConlon**: Yeah, I really shouldn't have left Baby John so cold. Oh gosh, I feel so guilty now! Hope you add on to your fic soon.

**sophiethejoker**: Thankyou! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Buddieboy**: Ok, so...heh. Maybe I was a little bit late. Apologies.

**Fwoggeh**: I get confused! Don't blame me! Please, seriously, add on to your fic again. It's brillaint. I wanna know what happens. Does Snowboy become a doctor? What?

**AneiAikouka:** Yeah, I thougth that at the beginning, but the Vampires are scary. Like, very scary. And they're not cowards. I just needed to get them out of the way.

**Faramirsgirl**: Heh...yeah, I forgot to say about the Vampires past, and why Jon is so...evil. I'll put a little footnote at the bottom to tell you. It is actually pretty important.

**Mizamour**: Thanks! Thanks for your _Oliver!_ reviews too.

Well (finally)...here we go again, buddy boys! Enjoy!

* * *

José was one of the few Puerto Rican boys on his block that hadn't joined the Sharks. Bernardo had approached him once, quite recently, just before the Rumble. 

"The _Americano_ Jets are planning something," The older, handsome Shark had insisted, "We need every man we can get, José. Every last man. Don't you want to ensure your sisters' safety? Or would you rather them walk around the streets at night while those _puercos_," he had spat on the floor, "could reach them?"

Yes, he had wanted to join. Oh, how he had desperately wanted to. But the disappointed stare from his mother's eyes would have borne into him at every possible opportunity – and so he had turned Bernardo down.

"_Pollo. Bebé. Cobarde,"_ Bernardo had snarled at him, all friendship melted away, "Too afraid of the Jets? Go home to your mother then, _pollo_."

Chicken. He was no chicken. He was no coward. And how he had desperately wanted to follow Bernardo to the Rumble – and yet he had waited at home with the children, with Anita and Rosalia – and he had wept with fear and anguish for the young man with the children and the women. Like the coward that Bernardo had called him.

So why was he here? Outside Jet territory, of all places. Simply asking to get cut up – that was, if the new Jet leader would let any violence take place. Rumour amongst the Shark ranks was that the new leader was one who could keep his head. José had seen Ice once, and he was definitely not the sort to get himself killed in a Rumble. But then again, he wouldn't have judged Riff to get killed either. He had, in a way, respected the leader – hated, even feared him, yes – but respected him.

José shook his head, rounding another corner. Too much had happened in the last couple of weeks. Riff, Bernardo, Tony – all dead. All killed. And Chino, put down for life imprisonment, Maria, shut up from the rest of them, Anita, sobbing in her room….

The boy kicked the all wall viciously – and stopped. He had heard, very faintly, the slightest groan.

"Hello?" José called warily, his Spanish accent still thick on his tongue, "Is anyone there?"

It's probably a trap. There's a Jet waiting there, just waiting to cut your throat.

Run around. Run home. Get back to your mother.

José took another step forward, peering into the gloom. There, quite clearly, was a figure lying on the floor.

He should have turned around. He should have just gone. God knows, enough people ended up lying on the streets. One more was probably no different.

Still, he stepped forward again.

"Are you….are you alright?" he called tentatively, "Is there…..what….."

He walk forward, studying the body carefully, until he could see clearly, and came to a complete, horror-filled stop.

It was a Jet. A Jet, lying there as if dead.

The young man was lying on his side, his knees pulled up to his chest as if protecting himself from something. José didn't blame him – as he looked closer, he could see the several bruises covering his arms and neck, the tears in his shirt indicating that someone had tried to aim several severe kicks to his chest. His dark hair was streaked slightly with blood, there was a trickle of blood coming from his mouth, his screwed up eyes were crusted with blood – blood, blood, the blood was everywhere. And his face – José shook his head with a mixture of disgust and pity – the skin about his face was torn, not from a direct cut, but from the blow that rains down until your skin breaks.

"_Mi Dios_," José murmured, bending down to gently roll the Jet onto his back, "Who did this to you?"

Whoever did this to him, the young Puerto Rican decided, it doesn't matter. American, Polack, Mick, Wop, Puerto Rican….whoever did it to him, he's damaged all the same. And needs help.

_Just leave him_.

I can't. Look at him. He could die if left like this.

_So the problem will go away, won't it? He's a Jet. He probably tried to hurt Anita. You want to help him?_

I can't just leave him.

José shook his head again, pushing his hair back from his eyes. He couldn't go for help from the Jets, he couldn't ask a policeman – and if he asked a Puerto Rican to help an injured Jet, he'd be laughed out onto the street.

There was only one person he could ask.

"Stay there, my friend," José said quietly, "I will return shortly."

00000000

"Maria. Please, talk to me."

"Consualo is right, Maria. You haven't said anything for days. _Please_. We need you."

Maria wrapped her shawl around her and walked over to the window, staring blankly out into the city, "My love is dead. My brother is dead. What could I have to say?" She asked quietly, a tear rolling down her cheek.

Rosalia, ever the mother figure, bustled over to Maria, handing her a cup of tea, "Drink this," she instructed, "Please, Maria, you cannot cut yourself from us forever. We are worried for you, and," she lowered her voice, "I fear for Anita."

Maria sighed and looked over at the sofa, where Anita lay, her face buried into a pillow. Her hair was tousled and un-brushed, her makeup was forgotten, "Has she been like this all day?"

"Yes. And yesterday. And…"

"Maria!" José, the slim, ever-worried boy burst into the room, "Maria, I need your help!"

Teresita glowered at him, "José, ask someone else for help. Or better still, ask no-one for help. Solve your own problems."

The young boy shook his head, "Maria, it's important!"

"What's the matter?"

"I…I found…well, I came across someone…..lying in the street. Unconscious. Bleeding. An….." José blushed, and avoided Anita's curious stare, "American. A Jet."

Rosalia's concerned look turned to one of disdain, "_Pah!_" She spat, flapping her hands, "You worry about one of them? One of those? Leave him, José. Leave him to die."

Maria put a hand on Rosalia's shoulder, "How bad is he?"

"Very bad. Very badly hurt. The blood everywhere…" José closed his eyes, "I didn't know what else to do. Maria, you've got to help him."

Maria nodded, ignoring Consualo's exclamation of disgust, "Alright. How far away is he?"

"Coupla blocks. Maybe more."

"I'll come," Maria looked up at the mutinous faces turned towards her, "What? You'd rather he bled to death? You'd rather he lie on the street until he was found? You'd rather he just _die_, just like….well, just like Bernardo!"

There was a brief, guilty silence around the girls, broken only by the sound of Anita's heels hitting the ground, "I'll come."

Even Maria was startled, "Anita, I didn't….."

"Don't think it's because of that little speech," Anita warned her, "Or because I feel any kind of pity for that Jet. But you and José can hardly protect yourselves, and I…..well, they'll not come near me again."

Maria squeezed her shoulder, smiling sadly, "Thank you."

José bounced nervously on the balls of his feet, "Can we go? Please?"

Maria nodded, "Lead the way, José."

000000000000000

"There," José mumbled, as they arrived, "At first I thought it was a trap. Someone pretending to be hurt. But no-one could pretend this well. And his face…."

José's words, Maria's quiet replies, all faded out from Anita's ears as she stared down at the young man at her feet. She ignored Maria bending down and gently touching his face, ignored everything as a cold wash of feeling seemed to pour down her body, as she looked down at the face that had been haunting her dreams for two weeks.

_Action._

_That boy._

_The one who almost…the one who tried._

_Action._

_He certainly tried to get some action._

_Action._

_The one who, the one who, the one who…_

"Anita?"

Anita shook herself and looked down at Maria, "We can't help him."

Maria's large brown eyes widened in shock, "Anita, I know about what happened at Doc's, but…."

"No," Anita's voice was steady, almost icy, "He started it. He was the one who started them. He was the ringleader. Maria, if you've ever loved me…."

Maria rose up, almost as a queen, "Anita, you are my best friend. My sister. But I will not let this boy stay here and die."

"Maria, we cannot…."

"I mean it. Look at him. Just….just look at him."

Anita sighed and knelt down next to José, brushing the dark hair that flopped into Action's eyes away. Try as she might, she couldn't register the blood that trickled down his face, the bruises that decorated his skin. But his eyes – the way they screwed up, trying to shut out the world – her own eyes mirrored the action as she shook her head. She couldn't turn her back on those eyes.

Anita felt Maria's hand on her shoulder, "Now do you understand?" The girl asked gently.

"I understand," The girl nodded, turning to José, "José, go back to the apartment block. Go find Pedro, Rafael, Angelo, any of the younger boys who will not mind helping. And hurry. He doesn't need any more delays."

Maria smiled warmly, hugging her friend as José ran off, "He certainly needs help. Do you know his name? We can't treat him like a wounded sack of potatoes."

Anita almost laughed at her friend's joke, "Action. That's what those Jets call him," She turned to look at Maria, "But I will never forgive him, Maria. Never. That I can promise you."

* * *

**Ash**: Woohoo! Love is in the air!

I can't wait to carry on with this...

Ok, quick note. The Vampires, as will be mentioned in _Flare Up_, are a bunch of sadistic teenagers who enjoy carving people up. Basically, a gang, like the Jets or the Sharks, but who are seriously bloodthirsty. And in _Flare Up_, they get on the wrong side of the Jets, involving a large, all-out Rumble, with pipes, belts, chains, the works. And now...the Vampires are back for revenge. And Jon particularly doesn't like Action because...well, when I add on to _Flare Up_, you'll find out, won't you?

Yes, I am carrying on with _Flare Up_. So don't abandon it!

Another quick thing. I have had a request to add Becca, Action's cousin from _Flare Up, _into the fic. So I will. So, quick note, and a few spoilers. So if you don't want to know what happens to the girl, DON'T READ!

Becca _does_ join the Jets.

She _does_ stay in the Jets all the way up to the Rumble.

She _does_ still fancy Riff (up to the Rumble).

She _does not_ like the way the Jets handled the Anita situation.

And, that's it. She will make her appearance in the next chapter, as will Graziella, Velma, the Jets, the Sharks, Action's consciousness, and Anita's pity. Enjoy, and review!


	6. Accidental Suicide

Alright...I'm not even gonna apologise. I am just gonna come out and say it. _Oops_.

I've just been writing a lot of other stuff and starting to write a book (which is not easy, _believe_ me. Especially if you get writer's block after the first chapter. Yikes) so I'll be surprised if anyone reviews at all. But oh well. Here it is, people! Enjoy!

Oh, and I'm sorry Beth isn't really developed as a character yet, but I'll make her better. Promise!

Ahem. Review reply time.

**Mizamour:** Yay! Thankyou!

**Fwoggeh:** ARGH! Help me! Mayday! I'm being attacked! Thank-you _sehr, sehr_ much, but you gotta update again! Now! Quickly! You can't have been in Germany _all_ this time!

**Beth Smith**: Now, everyone, play nice...Here is Beth in this chappy, as I promised! Hope you like her.Action be nice. Be not mean. Remember, I am the almighty writer. I can have you almost _dead_ at any time! Or in a passionate clinch with Anita. Whichever is more scary to you.

**Faramirsgirl**: You are most welcome for the note. Here is another one.

**BeBobALula**: Love the name. Hope you enjoy it!

**Elf-Warrior-13**: Thanks for the tip, I'll be sure to use it. I so agree, Action and Anita may sound kind of...odd, but it just works in this story. Am not sure why. Maybe because I am insane. Oh well.

**Anita Josephina**: Aw, thanks! You have to update again! Now, if not sooner. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

And now, if there wasn't enough delay, on with the show!...er...fic...thing.

* * *

Pain – that was the first thing that came to mind when Action opened his eyes. Slowly, and with more than a hint of caution.

He could barely see. True, he could barely open his eyes for the aching bruises on his eyelids, but a thin layer of blood covered the whole of one eye. He cried out in pain as the eye stung sharply and screwed his eyes up again, taking gulped, deep breaths of air in his panic.

He didn't know where he was. For all he knew he might have been taken prisoner by the Vampires. Who the hell did that anymore he didn't know – it had been a brief fad of theirs a couple of years ago to take prisoners – but he was still breathing, and from the way Jon had been beating him, he didn't think the Vampires leader had been wanting his lungs to function quite so well when he'd finished his going-over.

Taking another desperate lungful of air, the boy reached out blindly with his hands, clutching onto thick, smooth wads of material. Some kind of bed-spread, perhaps. And clean. That ruled out any of the Jets' apartments. Gradually, he lifted his arm up until his fingers were just touching his eyelid, and bit back another cry of pain – boy, he was gonna see a serious black eye the next time he looked in a mirror.

_Where the hell am I?_

**Only one way to find that out, Action-boy.**

Sighing, Action opened the eye that wasn't covered in blood – then berated himself angrily for not opening the other.

**You really think Riff would let a little blood get the better of him?**

_Damn you, I don't know what to think –_

It was over in seconds. Wincing, and more than a little ashamed of the pain, he stared down at the sheets that his hand was clutching. They were splattered in blood. His blood.

Action began to feel slightly sick.

Groaning, he looked around for the first time, letting his head fall tiredly back onto the pillow beneath his neck. It was already starting to feel heavy, and the cut at his temple was aching, a dull, throbbing ache that made him think grimly of concussion.

It was a small, neat bedroom, with clear, bright light streaming in from the window and lighting up all the nooks and crannies. There wasn't much in it but a small table and some bookshelves – who the hell's room was this? Everyone he knew would have had some sort of poster or magazine decorating the place – and no-one he knew was this tidy. _No-one_. Damn it, it wasn't _possible_ to have a room this tidy. His eyes scanned the room gingerly, his neck too stiff to tilt to either side, for some sort of clue as to where he was.

It was only when he'd given up did he notice the small shrine at the wall next to him.

Action's eyes widened in shock, drawing his arms back to prop himself up in spite of the pain to get a closer look.

Shit. One of those things with a statue of Mary – at least, he _thought_ that was who it was. His mom had dragged him to church when he was a kid, but he'd never paid much attention to any of the details, like who was who or anything….but still, there was only one type of person that would have of these things in their room…

He was in a PR flat.

A PR's apartment. A spic's. God, it was probably a Shark's as well, knowing how well his luck was going at the moment. And he'd thought he was safe. How wrong he'd been. Why the hell had they brought him here? Man, forget that, what were they gonna do to him when they came in?

He only had one option. Get outta here as fast as he could, and get back to Jet territory, get himself patched up, find Jon and beat the crap out of him – oh, and get Baby John's jacket back to him.

Grimly, the boy pulled himself up to a sitting position, clenching his teeth to ignore the pain which screamed at him through every nerve in his body, "Damn," he muttered, "I'm gonna get myself up if it's the last thing I do."

He shook his head, ignoring the flecks of blood that flicked into his eyes, and the pain in his neck. Dizzy with blood loss, Action leant his head against the wall –

Just as the door opened, and a slim, pretty young PR girl walked into the room, a girl with large doe eyes and thick brown hair.

Action sank his head meekly back onto the pillow as he remembered that girl screaming at them not three weeks ago.

_The name's Maria, ain't it_?

Maria's eyes widened as she saw the boy humbly stare at her from where he was lying, "You are awake?" She asked, hopefully, "How are you feeling?"

Action made a non-committal noise somewhere in the back of his throat, "Lousy," He muttered, "How'd I get here?"

"You were found in the street. We brought you back. Asked my father to take a look at you. He's a doctor," Maria almost laughed at the incredulous look on Action's face, "Don't be surprised. Despite what you are told, some of us do have feelings."

Action felt his face turn a dull shade of red, "Yeah….well….I got that," he mumbled, "You know….you obviously had feelin's for Tony…." He stared awkwardly at the floor.

Maria looked away, "Yes. Yes I did."

"I….I didn't mean…"

"I know you didn't," Maria's face lightened, and she walked over to the bed, placing a glass of water on the bedside table, "You've lost quite a lot of blood, my father says. If he hadn't bandaged some of your wounds in time, and we hadn't found you, you could have been…."

"Dead?"

"Yes."

Action sighed, "Jesus H Christ. And you did this for me?"

Maria shrugged, beginning to tidy up the windowsill, "What good would your death do, hmm?"

Action opened his mouth to answer, when the door to the room opened, and a darker head poked itself through the opening, though it was pointedly turned towards Maria, and not to him. The boy closed his eyes and let his head fall back on the pillow.

_Je-sus Christ, if all this ain't enough, there's **her**. Better not eat anything that's given to you. She'll have put poison in the drinks and ground up glass in the food._

**Shut up, you moron. You're alive so far, ain't you?**

_Yeah, but for how long?_

**Coward. Afraid of a PR girl, are you?**

_Shut up. Just shut up you…_

**_Just shut up the pair of you, Anita's talking._**

_Anita? That's her name?_

**_Pretty, isn't it?_**

_I never noticed…shut up. Just shut up. I'm not gonna have this conversation with you…_

"José wants to talk to you, Maria. He says it is urgent," Anita turned her head to look at Action, and he almost flinched from the intensity. Hate. Pure hate. That was all that was in her look. Man, that glare was a mixture of volcano-heat and sub-zero temperatures all rolled into one. A-Rab would be _cowering_ at that look.

"I can get some of the younger boys to watch him now he's awake."

Action's fear – wariness – was immediately overcome by indignation, "I'm bloody _wounded_!" He snapped, "I can barely _move_! What d'you think I'm gonna do, hobble out and set the place alight?"

"I wouldn't put it past _your _kind," Anita spoke flatly, staring at the opposite window as though it had done her some sort of injustice, "Come, Maria."

Maria raised her eyebrows tiredly at Action as she followed Anita out the door, "Try and keep your temper….Action, please," She sighed, "We have enough troubles on our hands without Anita trying to scratch your eyes out."

Action settled back down in his bed with more than a little guilt resting on his shoulders. _We have enough troubles_…he shouldn't feel indebted to bloody _PR's_, for God's sake, but all the same, he was beginning to wish they'd never found him. Or some of the Jets had found him first.

Groaning at what the Jets were thinking at his absence at that moment, Action drifted back into a dark, uneasy sleep, in which Riff and Tony fought each other with switch-blades and a Spanish voice screamed something at him…

----

Baby John leaned across to hiss at A-Rab, "Hey, where's Action? He should be back by now."

A-Rab shrugged, "Search me."

The younger Jet stared at his feet, "Ya don't think….that one of the Sharks got him?"

A-Rab rolled his eyes, "And if they did? You really think old Action boy'd let himself get beaten in a fight? You quit frightening yourself kid, an' leave the worrying to Ice."

Baby John nodded and swung his feet onto the back of the seats in front of him, "You're right A-Rab. I'm sorry I worried."

The older boy clapped his friend over the head, "No problem."

The Jets watched the horror film for the first fifteen minutes. A-Rab, tearing his attention away from flicking bits of popcorn at the making out Velma and Ice, and saw Baby John staring at the ground again.

"Oh God, what is it _now_?"

Baby John bit his lip, and didn't look up as he murmured, "I miss Becca."

A-Rab stared at his own shoes. Truth be told, he himself was missing the younger girl's presence, who'd usually be squashed in-between himself and Baby John, stealing his popcorn and swigging out of Baby John's coke.

"Yeah….well…." Get a grip on yourself, man, he told himself furiously, you sound like Baby John, "I don't think she should've just upped and left us like that either, kid."

"It wasn't _her_ fault," Baby John snapped furiously, "It wasn't _her_ fault she didn't like what you did!"

A-Rab's eyes widened, "I wasn't actually blaming her…."

"You blamed her for having a _weak stomach_ when she punched you," Baby John retorted, "And then she said that you had to be a foul, repulsive type of person to enjoy the raping of a young woman, and then you said you never enjoyed it, and then she said that it bloody well looked like it, and that you deserved everything you flaming well got, and then you had got really angry and you said that she'd probably enjoy it if something like that happened to her, and you tried to shove her to prove it, only she was in the wrong position, so she ended up on the floor with you on top of her, and it looked real compromising, and you were laughing," Baby John look a deep breath and glared at him, "And _that_ was when she punched you straight in the face."

A-Rab rubbed his nose. It had bled for the rest of the evening, "It hurt too," He muttered ruefully.

"That wasn't the _point_," Baby John pointed out sulkily, "The point is that she's real mad at all of us, but especially at you. Oh, and Snowboy," He added, "Because of that thing he said as she was running away – and crying."

"Didn't think she'd take it that hard," Snowboy muttered, retracted one arm away from Clarice's shoulder, "She takes that sort of thing as a joke – usually."

"She was _crying_," Baby John sniffed, "You two made Becca cry."

"Well, we're real sorry about it," A-Rab told him, "And when we see Becca again we intend to apologise completely and sincerely – right Snowboy?"

"Course we are."

Big Deal leant back to face the two boys, "Then prepare to do some serious grovelling boys," He smirked, "Cos there she is."

A-Rab turned round, let his jaw drop and felt the bottom of his stomach give way.

"Oh effin' heck."

It _was_ Becca. Clutching an ice cream and staring at the screen with vivid fascination, the young ex-Jet was sitting a few rows away from them, chatting to – oh, he couldn't believe it….

He turned to Baby John with an accusing glare on his face and jabbed his thumb back at the young woman who sat next to Becca. Brown haired and average height, Elizabeth Smith was _not_ one of A-Rab's favourite people. Predictably, of course, she loved and was lovely to Baby John. Typi-bloody-cal.

"Look who it is," A-Rab groaned, "Just _look_ who it is, why don'tcha? It's only dear old E-lizzy-beth. You really think I'm gonna be able to apologise to Becca with _her_ firing wise-ass comments at me?"

"You know she hates being called Elizabeth, A-Rab."

"Which is precisely why I call her that."

"Won't help you when you're trying to apologise though."

"You can't make me go," Snowboy was cowering in his chair, "You can't make me. I won't. She'll kill me."

Baby John glared at him, and turned around to blink at A-Rab, "You _said_ you'd say sorry A-Rab," He pouted.

A-Rab felt his resistance begin to waver. Damn kid – whoever knew he was so powerful?

"No, I bloody well won't! Listen, Baby John, everyone likes different things, I grant you, but _suicide_ is not on my to-do list, ok? I mean, that girl has got a temper that _Satan_ himself would run, pissing himself with fear, from! She's a bloody _nightmare_! She's so bad-tempered tha…tha…what?"

Feeling that it was probably not in his best interests _not_ to turn around, A-Rab turned back to see Becca, arms folded standing directly behind him, tapping her foot impatiently. Beth was standing behind her, looking utterly amused. Typical.

"Jesus! Sneak up on a guy, why don'tcha?"

Becca didn't even crack a grin, "Hi A-Rab. Raped any more innocent girls lately?"

A-Rab took a deep breath. Meanwhile, Snowboy was busy cowering in his seat and using his jacket for cover, while Baby John, not entirely sure whether to look scared or entertained, settled for apprehensive, "Alright, first of all, we didn't _rape_ her – "

"Close shave though."

"_And secondly_," A-Rab carried on firmly, "it wasn't _completely_ our fault….I mean…"

Becca scoffed, "Yeah right. Anyway, I'm looking for my cousin. Anyone seen him?"

Baby John shook his head furiously, "No. We've been wondering where he was all through the film though, we've haven't seen him since he went get back to get my jacket, and some of them Sharks may have got him…"

"Baby John, shut up."

Beth glared at Big Deal, "You leave him alone, Big Deal. As far as I heard, he was the only one who actually acted like a regular human being when Anita came looking for Tony…"

"But a mite too young for you, Beth."

Beth's eyes narrowed, and she tugged impatiently at Becca' jacket, guiding her past the boys, "We'll go and ask someone who actually has a clue what they're talking about, then. Come on, Becca."

"Ice might know. You don't know Ice, do you, Beth?"

A-Rab snorted as the two moved away, tugging at his collar, "Jesus. Have tempers on 'em, don't they?"

Baby John nodded quietly, "Uh-Huh."

A-Rab noted his friend's anxiety, and slapped him cheerfully on the shoulder, "Don't worry, Baby John! Action'll be here by the time the film finishes. Don'tcha worry about it."

* * *

**A/N**: I _will_ try to update sooner. I _promise_. Meanwhile, does anyone know a good cure for writer's block?


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